| by B. Raman
( October 2,
2012, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) A controversy has arisen over the
expenditure incurred by the Government of India on the foreign travels of
Mrs.Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress.
 |
| Sonia Gandhi |
2. Mrs.Gandhi is
a Member of the Lok Sabha and the head of the Congress. In either of these
capacities, she often travels inside India as well as abroad. In addition to
being an MP, she is also the widow of Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister.
By virtue of that, protecting her from any threat to her physical security,
whether in India or abroad, is the responsibility of the Special Protection
Group (SPG) of the Cabinet Secretariat.
She is what is called an SPG protectee and is covered under the SPG Act.
3.Providing SPG
protection to her during her travels involves two responsibilities--- deputing
a team of close-proximity guards of the SPG to protect her at her place of stay
and during her movements and liaising with the local security authorities.
4.The SPG would
have been authorised to incur the following expenditure on her foreign travels:
( a
).Expenditure on the air travel and hotel stay of the SPG guards accompanying
her.
( b
).Expenditure on the vehicles that would have been hired for her movements in
the place visited by her.
5. These are
legitimate items of expenditure and nobody can object to it. Does the public
have a right to know this expenditure? Yes it has, but not the details of the
break-up as that could involve revealing details regarding the number of close
proximity guards accompanying her while she travels abroad and the kind of
special protection vehicles she uses. These details should not be revealed in
the interest of her security.
6. Mrs.Sonia
Gandhi faces a high degree of threat to her physical security from the remnants
of the Khalistani terrorists and the overseas sympathisers of the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The incident in London on the night of September
30,2012, in which a senior retired officer of the Army, who had played a role
in Operation Blue Star in the Amritsar Golden Temple in 1984, was attacked by
as yet unidentified elements, indicates the danger and possibility of such
threats being still alive.
7. The SPG unit
responsible for her protection cannot afford to take risks with her security.
Whatever, in their assessment, needs to be done for her security has to be done
and the necessary expenditure incurred.
8. There is also
a non-security related expenditure on her travels abroad. This would consist of
the expenditure on her air travel and hotel stay and medical treatment. There
would be no dilution of her security by revealing these details. The Government
should not make an unnecessary issue of revealing them. The credibility of the
Government, the Congress and Mrs.Sonia Gandhi would go up if the Government
takes the initiative in revealing them.
9.In the case of
Mrs.Sonia Gandhi, who is an SPG protectee, the drill is clearly laid down. When
the Chief Minister of a State travels abroad, whether on private or official
duty, the drill for his or her security, is not clearly laid down in matters
such as under what head the expenditure on the security will be incurred, who
will handle the security liaison with the local security agencies and what
precautions are to be taken to prevent the penetration of the security party by
the foreign agencies.
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| Modi |
10. For example,
Shri Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, paid a high profile visit to
China with an entourage. From the point of view of our national security, China
is a sensitive country. Who handled the security aspect of the visit? Who
handled the liaison with the Chinese security agencies? Were the Government of
India and the Intelligence Bureau kept in the picture regarding any
interactions with the Chinese security agencies in connection with Shri Modi’s
visit? What expenditure was incurred on Shri Modi’s security? How and under
which head it was met? Was a report sent to the Intelligence Bureau on Shri
Modi’s return on all contacts with the Chinese security agencies for arranging
for his security?
11. The
credibility of the BJP and Shri Modi will go up if he and his Government shares
these details with the public.
(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),
Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director,
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For
China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com
Twitter @SORBONNE75)
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